Chapter 41
Felicity and Katherine looked at each other before looking at him again, "why would you say that?" Katherine asked.
"Because I want to see my daddy. All my friends in school use to talk about how their daddy thought them how to throw ball and builds snowmen with them. I want my daddy to teach me too and build snowmen with me" as if that wasn't enough, he looked at his little sister, "don't you want to meet daddy Sofie?"
The little glutton sitting on her Mommy's lap immediately nodded continuously, "yes, I want to meet daddy. Daddy will take me to amusement park and buy me ice cream and cake."
Darryl rolled his eyes, "glutton, all you think about is food."
"Mom, Darryl called me glutton again" she whined.
"Darryl, don't call your sister glutton again" Felicity looked at her daughter "but mommy use to take you to amusement park and buy you cake and ice cream."
"Yes but daddy will carry me on his shoulder and spin. Then he will kiss my head and call me his princess" she mumbled.
Felicity and Katherine's eyes met again and Katherine's own seem to be saying 'I told you so'.
Felicity sighed, "don't worry, mommy will do all those for you. And besides, you are mommy's princess. My princess Sofia" she tickled her and she laughed.
Darryl rolled his eyes again, of course they will buy her off. His sister is not strong willed, as for him? He will keep on disturbing till he meets his daddy, he really wants to meet his daddy.
***
It was a week now since Felicity returned with her twins. Katherine was finding it more and more difficult to hide it from Raymond since he always ask her when she will be traveling to Florida. She won't blame him after all, it's the normal time she usually travel and a man with Raymond's intelligence will soon figure out what was going on if she keeps postponing him.
It's not like she doesn't want to let him know but that anytime she brings up a matter about him, Felicity will close it off like she has been doing since the day she left for Florida. For nearly five years now, she still hasn't gotten the image of how Raymond was kissing Grace in her memory. So every time his name was mentioned, that's the first image that always appear in her memory.
Katherine was finding it difficult to handle Darryl as well. The little imp always go to her room at night, bugging her to tell him who his father is or better still show him his picture.
"Does he not want my sister and I?"
"Does he not love us?"
"Do I look like my daddy? Everybody is saying Sofie looks like mommy. Even in school, everybody says that. Then what of me? I look like my daddy right?"
"How does my daddy look like?"
"Is my daddy strong?"
"Can my daddy carry my mommy up? Mervin said his daddy can carry his mommy up."
"Will I be like my daddy when I grow up?"
"Where is my daddy grandaunt?"
"Can I see my daddy?"
"If I be a good boy this year, will Santa send my daddy?"
"Will I build snowman with daddy in Christmas?"
"Is daddy here?"
Katherine will always groan when he asks the same questions everyday. One day she even told him to go bug his mom, that she knows all the answer to his questions but the little boy knows better than to go ask his mom.
So he just left her room and tucked himself into his bed.
***
Felicity parked her aunt's car in the driveway, she turned off the engine of the car with a tired sigh. Another day of hunting for a job but she failed. Not like she doesn't see work but none are to her liking. Her mind kept drifting back to what her aunt said about her working for Raymond. And she knows she can't always depend on her aunt to provide for her.
For goodness sake, she is a mother now with two children, she needs to be doing something tangible that can provide for both her and her kids. And what her aunt said about working for the Baldwin, indeed they will pay more but how far can she go before he finds out about the children's existence?
She doesn't want him involve in their lives, involve in her life. She has been taking care of them for the past four years with her aunt's help and nanny Mercy, she doesn't need him. She will never need him.
Just like her aunt told her, their contract marriage ended the day she left his house. Although she doesn't have a better understanding of what was happening that time but she does now and she even found out that he paid ten million dollars to her aunt to rent her for a year.
Even though she was really angry at her aunt for a while for taking advantage of her condition that time but no matter what, she couldn't forget that this same aunt was the one who has been taking care of her since her parents deaths. And has treated her like her own, so she forgave her and let go of the matter.
Her aunt had offered to give her the remains of the money for her upkeep and that of her kids but she had refused, she doesn't want anything of him, especially his money.
Well, not that she doesn't want anything of him, after all, her beloved twins are his children so she doesn't want any other thing from him apart from the twins.
She shook her head to clear off the thoughts, she has been thinking a lot about him since she returned and she hate it. She hates remembering that flawless face of his, his silky brunette hair and gray eyes. His thin sexy pink lips that did wonders on her body that night, she groaned immediately and slammed her hand on the steering wheel to stop herself from going further.
She still has to cope with their son who is taking over his features day by day. Just a glance on her son's face always reminds her of him let alone her thoughts.
She grabbed her handbag on the passenger's seat and left the car, shutting the door after her. She locked it and turned to see the very face that she just stopped herself from thinking about. She was shocked and she stood there, staring at him.
He was more handsomer than she remembered and there was something about a family man vibe coming from him. Is it that the birth of their children changed him like it did to her? But he doesn't know about their existence!
Or could it be that he stopped his formal way of life altogether? She can't tell but there is indeed something different about him.
Or is it age that changed him? If she remembers correctly then he should be approaching forty one soon.
Raymond stood staring at her, is his eyes deceiving him or is that really his Felicity?
His gaze trailed from her honey gold hair that was up in a tight ponytail to the body hug turtleneck she was putting on then to her four inches heel. The Felicity he remembers doesn't stand well in heels but this woman before him looks like she has been doing it all her life.
He needs no soothsayer to tell him that this is not the Felicity he ones knew. Her big dewy emerald green eyes was fixated on him, silently telling him not to take a step closer and he found himself obeying. Her sexy lips that always attract him was covered in baby pink lip gloss and he gulped.
Just the sight of her reminds him of his abstinence from women for nearly five years now and the part of him that he thought had died was suddenly coming back to life.
They both stood there staring at each other in silence, one was of admiration and longing and the other was cold and distant.
"Felicity" he finally found his voice.
The woman stared at him for a second more before turning and walking away.
Raymond doesn't know if he should follow her or not but at the end, his heart took over his brain and he ran after her. He stopped her just before she opened the door, his hand on her arm.
She looked at his hand tightly clasping on her arm and without words, he immediately let go of her.
Raymond gulped nervously, "Felicity please, let's talk."
The woman ignored him and opened the door, slamming the door shut on his face.
Raymond ran his hand through his hair nervously. After five years, he finally saw her after five years, a changed woman. What was he expecting? That she would be as gullible as she was before?
He chuckled nervously, of course not. Something tells him that the Felicity now, is not someone to trifle with. He wiped his hand on his face as he backed away from the door.
As he turned to walk over to his car, a taxi pulled over in front of him and Katherine alighted. She flashed him a faint smile as her her gaze trailed to the closed door and she smiled down to her feet. The taxi drove off and she approached him, "Katherine."
"You have seen her" she nodded to herself.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Believe me, I really wanted to but she wouldn't let me."
He bit the inside of his lip while nodding, "how long has she been back?"
"Getting to two weeks now."
He nodded once more, "the day you left the office."
It was Katherine's turn to nod.
"I really thought you would tell me when she returns. I thought we have gotten closer during the years" there was a tinge of hurt in his voice.
"I'm sorry" he nodded "why are you here anyway?"
"I came to give you things to take to her. I didn't know if you were home but I decided to try and when I saw your car, I believed you were home only to..." He smiled.
Katherine nodded knowingly while smiling too.
He sighed and scratched his hair nervously, "she has changed" he chuckled to himself.
Katherine laughed, "yes she has. She really has."
"She is a strong woman now."
"What do you expect? At nearly thirty and a..." She swallowed.
"What?" Raymond asked, he knew she wanted to say something but stopped herself at the last minute.
Katherine shook her head, "nothing."
"Katherine, you can tell me issues you know. If she needs help, I can help her, she doesn't have to know."
"Like she doesn't know all the things you sent her these years."
Raymond nodded.
She sighed, "she is not in any kind of trouble. She is just been looking for a job" she hates the way he is been kept in the dark but she can't help it. She herself knows Raymond has changed, he is like a new being and should Felicity forgive him, she would really enjoy him now.
"I can give her a job."
"Do you think she will accept."
He shook his head.
Katherine sighed, "oh screw this. She is probably going to kill me if she finds out I told you about this."?
"About what? That she needs a job?" He asked confused.
"No. Raymond listen," she sighed, "you are a father. Not to one but two."
Raymond froze.
The confuse look on his face faltering as he stared at her like a statue.
As if on cue, the door was opened behind him and little cute voices screamed, "grandaunt!"
Raymond woke up from his shock then and turned to see two little ones running towards them and his gaze never wavered as he watched them ran into Katherine's outstretched hands.
The door opened again and Felicity was at the door, she glared at the man and then at the kids, "Sofia, Darryl, get back inside" her voice thundered.
The kids looked at their mother who looks like she would really kill them if they don't and they left their aunt's arms. Sofia ran back to her mother while Darryl turned to look at the man who was just standing there like a rock, his eyes locked with the man's for a long while but at the end, he turned and ran to his mother.
"I will see you inside aunt Katy" Felicity said and closed the door.
Raymond's gaze remained on the closed door. Unwavering.
Katherine looked at him and sighed, "I will be inside. See you tomorrow" she walked ahead and got into the house while Raymond remained standing on the patio. In shock and disbelief of what just happened.